Twilit Friends
by hylian-dragoness
Summary: SLASH INCEST Eragon wakes up to discover that he and Saphira are captured, prisoners of the Empire. He notices that he is not alone in his cell; there is a wolf, Link, with him. What could Galbatorix want with it? Murtagh/Eragon Twilight Princess Xover
1. Escape

Well, back again! If you were expecting a chapter of _Unexpected_, I AM SORRY! I'm in a bit of a spiff with that story right now...I'm having a terrible time of making characters actually IN character. I've had this on deviantART for awhile, so I decided to put it on here X3 Because seriously, there is very few Eragon/Zelda crossovers! At least, the last time I checked...and none of them are slash! XD So now, I present to youuuuuu the first slash Eragon/Zelda crossover!

Pairings: Murtagh/Eragon, and...err...someone/Link XD; Who, though? Maybe Vanir? Or Marth or Ike? Or, I was thinking, maybe that hot furry, Blodhgarm? Seriously, he is a furry/anthro XD I need input, people! XD

I'm working on chapter three...ehh...I'm not sure where exactly to end it XD Uhhh I'm rating this T to be safe XD

_**SPOILERS** for **BRISINGR**_

I DO NOT OWN ERAGON (snrrk...but Murtagh does |D *gets slashed with Zar'roc*)

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Eragon opened his chocolate brown eyes slowly and rubbed them. "Nng...where...am I?" He murmured drowsily. "Oh yeah...." he spoke again, talking quietly to himself. "Galbatorix's prison..." He took a look around. He was in a slightly small, dark, damp cell. The thick iron bars looked impossible to open by brute force, and as far as Eragon could tell, there was no opening mechanism on the door; the only way to open the door was probably by magic. On the floor, there was some damp-smelling mounds of straw, and...a sleeping wolf? Next to the wolf were two small, dented metal bowls; one held water, and the other held a few meager scraps of food, scarcely enough to feed a small cat.

Eragon approached the wolf stealthily, trying not to wake it up. When the Rider was about a foot or so away, he went into a crouching position. Upon closer inspection, the brunette noticed the wolf had two manacles on both of its forelegs. On the right foreleg, the manacle shackled the poor beast to the floor of the cell. It had Galbatorix's insignia on it. The other manacle had intricate designs on it, and it was apparent that it was broken awhile ago; part of the chain was still on it. Also, Eragon noticed, on the left forepaw of the beautiful canine, there was a strange symbol. It was three triangles composed to form one large triangle.

Eragon ran his hand alongside the black and white pelt of the beast gently. It had silky smooth fur, and at this discovery, the swordsman was surprised it hadn't been hunted down and killed. Its fur would bring quite a few pretty coins at market. The Rider also noticed how skinny the young wolf was. Its ribcage was sticking out, and that made the brunette disgusted. The teen also noticed that the wolf had _piercings._ There was a metallic blue hoop on each of the wolf's furry ears. When Eragon's hand came in contact with one of these hoops, the beast's ear twitched. _Aww,_ the Dragon Rider thought, _so cute!_

Just then, the wolf's eyes opened blearily. They were a gorgeous sapphire blue; they were just as beautiful as Saphira's sparkling scales. As the wolf came to its surroundings, it suddenly lunged at the brunette, growling fiercely. Startled, Eragon lurched backwards, falling on his rear end hardly.

Eragon smiled, and said calmly out loud and in the snarling canine's mind,_ "Do not worry, little garm(1)! I will not hurt you, I swear it!"_

The wolf responded through their newly formed mental link with a cautious growl. _What do you want?_ he asked.

The blue Rider grinned at the response. _I wish to help you!_ he spoke eagerly back with sincerity in his voice.

The wolf stopped growling and snarling. _I...I guess that'd be okay..._ the blue-eyed beast responded softly, sounding a bit unsure.

The Rider smiled kindly at the wolf, trying to offer him (he decided it was a "he" after hearing its voice) some reassurance. "Great!" He responded out loud. He then crawled quickly over to where the chain restraining the wolf was fastened to the floor. He held the chain with both hands, pulling them away from each other. The wolf, apparently sensing what the teen was trying to do, held on to his end with his teeth and began pulling fiercely has well. With a loud SNAP, the chain broke in half. The wolf let out a happy woof and wagged his tail eagerly, causing Eragon to laugh. He let out an unhappy wine, though, when he saw that the brunette's skin on his palms was slightly torn. The canine licked Eragon's palms, apparently trying to apologize.

Eragon smiled at the wolf. "Really, I'm fine!" He then let out another light laugh when he felt the wolf sniffing his gedwey insignia. "By the way, Mr. Big Bad Shrrg, my name's Eragon Shadeslayer, or Agretlam, or Shur'tugal, I suppose. What's yours?"

The wolf pranced over to his water bowl and lapped up some stale-looking water while replying mentally, _Link. But I've also been called the Bane of Twilight, and the Hero of Twilight._ He then looked up and walked slowly towards the Dragon Rider. _But y'know, Eragon..._ Link said, gently, _I...I'm not truly a wolf...._

Eragon just blinked at Link dumbly. "What do you mean, not a wolf? You sure look like a wolf."

Link gave him a lazy, toothy smile. _I guess...it's a curse. But it's also a blessing. Two things make me like what I am right now; a thing called twilight, which covers the land in a place between light and darkness, and another thing called a shadow crystal, which is a cursed gem. I'm currently like this because of a shadow crystal._ He began circling around the brunette, for the other was still on the ground, never breaking eye contact. Upon looking at Link's feral, wild eyes, Eragon had to remind himself that this was still a wild beast.

Link yawned, exposing many sharp teeth. _I need this crystal,_ he remarked, _for it is the only thing that will revert me to my true form._ The chains attached to his shackles clinked along the ground every time he moved. _It is on my collar,_ he continued, still circling the brunet, _but one of those damned guards took my collar away from me. He almost lost a couple of fingers doing so, too._ And amused look found its way onto the wolf's face, and Eragon couldn't help but mirror it.

_But I think..._ he began again, trailing off. He then padded over to the bars of the cell.

Eragon sighed. "I already checked while you were asleep. The door only opens by magic, and I've been drugged, so I can't remember the words to cast any spells."

Link shot him a slightly surprised and awed look. _You can use magic?_ he asked, excited. _Wow, I wish I could use magic...I mean, I sort of, kind of can, but, well...._ He sighed, and went back to sniffing around the bottom of the bars.

_Ah HA!_ He exclaimed triumphantly after several minutes of pawing and sniffing at the ground, causing Eragon to tumble backwards at the sudden noise. _I found a way out!_

Eragon hurriedly made his way over to the black and white wolf. "How?" He asked.

_Well, see right here, where the tiles in the floor are loose, and there's some soil? The ground is soft here, so I think I can dig a hole big enough for us to escape!_

Eragon gave his new companion an unsure look. "Are you sure this will work?"

Link smiled his wolfish smile. _Positive! Trust me, when I was imprisoned before, this is how I escaped._ He then began to dig furiously. About ten minutes later, he declared that the small tunnel underneath the bars was big enough.

The blue-eyed wolf met Eragon's gaze and said, _I...I'll go first. You're defenseless without a weapon and magic...not that I doubt your strength, but rather be safe than sorry, right?_ Eragon nodded solemnly, and followed Link under the bars. It was a tight squeeze, but they both made it.

Eragon grinned. "C'mon, I remember where they put my weapons; your collar is probably there too!" He then sprinted hurriedly past some other cells and up a flight of stairs, Link following faithfully at his heels.

Eragon couldn't contain his joy, and let out a content laugh. Link responded with a joyous bark. It felt so good to run again! At the top of the stairs, there were two doors; one to get out of the dungeon, and another that contained the prisoners' belongings. To Eragon's immense relief, the door was unlocked. He swiftly opened it and shut it as soon as he and his furry companion were inside. It was a considerably big room, but it was a bit crowded with all of the confiscated weapons and items. On a small table was his Rider sword, Brisingr, with its sheath. Next to it was his purse of coins, his bow and quiver, and a dog collar.

The dog collar was a beautiful thing; it was made with a strange metal, even stronger than steel, and was inlaid with white and yellow gold and black silver and white silver. On what Eragon presumed was the font, there was a diamon-shaped black crystal with orange designs. The shadow crystal.

_...Can you put it around my neck?_ Link asked, shy. Eragon nodded and did so. He stood back up and buckled Brisingr to the belt of Beloth the Wise, put his bow and quiver on his back, and also picked up his coin purse and put it into one of his tunic pockets. He was, however, distracted when a black...aura?...cloud?...surrounded Link. Now, instead of a wolf, a teenager about the same age or younger was standing in front of the Rider.

"Um...surprised?" Link questioned in a smooth tenor voice. He was wearing a forest green tunic, complete with leggings (Tights? questioned Eragon), an undershirt, a strange hat, boots, bracers, and gloves. Under his green tunic was a shirt of slightly rusty chain mail. On his back was a long, graceful-looking sword, a metal shield bearing the crest of an unknown country, and a bow and quiver. Link was short, and about the same height or shorter as Eragon, a measly 5'6". The tunic-bearing boy had shining blonde hair and pointy ears, but they were more prominent than an elf's. The collar had shrunken, and hugged his neck. He had the same feral eyes as he did when he was a wolf, but now they were complete with dark, long lashes, and a pleasant, boyish face, with slightly angled features. In fact, he didn't look too different than Eragon.

"Let's go!" Eragon exclaimed. Link nodded, and they sprinted off again. But, sadly, fortune was not on their side.

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Review! Or Galbatorix will kick a puppy! Oh, and I changed the design from what it looked like in the dA version...it just sounded impractical XD

garm - Ancient Language for wolf

Shrrg - those giant wolves--I kinda meant it like the big bad wolf XD

And Eragon doesn't have those callous things on his hands...urgh...yucky XD


	2. Captured Once More

BACK AGAIN! 8D I decided to update this, 'cause, well...I felt like it |D Kinda short, though...sorry? XD Hahaha, just got back from a parade with a shetload of candy XD Mmmm water-logged candy...(it was raining lol) Freaking little league kids--I got squirted with a super soaker XD My cousin threw me some candy X3 He was on a boyscout's float "HEY COUSIE!" *chucks candy at me* rofl last year he got me with a water gun, but I digress XD

Eragon and Link meet two special someones~

*has random thought* Y'know what would be cool? Eragon cosplay! That'd be really interesting...if only I had more money XD

**shadowdarknut**: Thank you! I read a really good crossover of these two and it made me want to write one as well XD

_**SPOILERS** for **BRISINGR**_

I, sadly do not own The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, nor Eragon DX but I DO own this plot, hehe~!

They ran for around ten minutes until Eragon skidded to a halt, making Link stop, making the latter listen curiously.

"Shit," the brunette cursed quietly when they both heard multiple pairs of footsteps. "And this is the only way out, too…"

"What do we do?" Link asked, growing anxious. He nervously put his left hand on the purple hilt of the Master Sword, but didn't draw it. He was feeling rather hesitant. He had never killed a human before…

Eragon bit his lip. "My magic's still sealed," he said quietly. The footsteps were getting closer. "We have to fight." Even though the other's expression grew slightly pained, he didn't waver in his decision.

"Do we have to kill them?" Eragon was a bit surprised at the question. The blonde's tight grip on his sword had turned his fingers white, and his expressive blue eyes were sad. _Is he not used to killing?_ Eragon wondered to himself. _He looks like an experienced warrior, though young…_ "I've never killed a person before," Link admitted. "Only evil monsters…" Eragon's eyes widened as the Empire soldiers turned the corner. There were six of them and they shouted in surprised.

"The prisoners escaped!" one shouted and Eragon growled, drawing Brisingr. One quickly ran away, probably to get reinforcements.

"No time!" he hissed. "Just fight!" Eragon charged with Link right after, who had drawn his sword and shield. They had seemed to sense that Link was less powerful than Eragon and four ganged up on the Hylian, while the Rider dealt with one, who seemed to be the most experienced out of the group. Eragon gritted his teen when their blades met. He was tired and his bones were sore, which made him considerably weaker. Link wasn't faring and better. He was finally able to kill the soldier whom he was battling with and turned to help the blonde. Two of them were on the floor—dead or unconscious, Eragon wasn't sure. He quickly took care of one and Link's opponent fell not too soon after.

"Come on," he huffed between breaths. "We need to get out of here."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, laddie," a smug voice said. The two looked up and Eragon cursed again. Ten soldiers were in front of them and ten soldiers were behind them. "Sheathe your blades," the man said, bored, and the teens did so. "Tie 'em up." Two men tied up their hands behind their backs. Eragon could have easily broken the bonds, but that would mean deserting Link, and he really didn't want to do that. Only, the man behind Link decided to take advantage of the situation.

"Oops, sorry," the Empire soldier said, grinning as Link yelped and blushed. The men that saw the perverted action laughed.

_What did he do to you?_ Eragon asked as they were forced to walk in the opposite direction they were originally going, glad the moronic soldiers apparently didn't know about talking mentally.

_H-he put his filthy hands up my tunic and groped my ass!_ Link exclaimed, glancing at his new friend and looking fairly pissed off.

_I'm sorry, Link,_ he apologized sincerely. _Bad luck always seems to follow me and those around me._ He didn't mean the tendril of sadness to slip through their mental link, but it did.

_It's okay, Eragon,_ the Hylian said, smiling a little. _Bad luck seems to have a fondness for me as well. Besides, it can't get any worse than this, can it?_ They were forced to stop at a pair of huge wooden doors.

The apparent leader smiled cruelly. "Have fun with the king," he sneered.

_Oh shit,_ Eragon swore and Link winced, hearing it. _We're so fucked. Listen, no matter what happens, do as he says and don't try to piss him off, okay? And if he does anything to me, don't protest. Promise me,_ he growled.

_I-I promise._

_That's not good enough! Now, in the Ancient Language—_

"Get in the throne room, whelps!" the leader shouted and promptly opened one of the doors and threw the teens in. Eragon landed on his side and Link landed painfully on his empty stomach. They both shivered. The floor was made of dark marble and was therefore freezing. They quickly struggled to their knees.

A deep, sinister chuckle resounded from the black throne room. "I am sorry for the harsh treatment of you two young boys. This surely isn't how I treat all of my guests," Galbatorix laughed in a mocking manner. He was tall and imposing, but slightly old looking with his features slightly angled from his bond with Shruikan. He has dressed in a fine black tunic and robe with golden stitching. His hair and goatee were black but with some gray and white hairs, no doubt from their owner being well over a hundred years old. His eyes were a fierce grey and there was a sword hanging from his belt.

Galbatorix approached his two prisoners, taking them both in, Link especially. He turned his cold gaze to Eragon. "I was expecting…more," he drawled. "But of course I've seen you in your dear bother's memories, so I knew what I was to expect, but still." He snorted. "Pathetic mongrel. Your only use is Saphira, nothing more. Perhaps a pleasure slave for some of my high-ranking officers." His expression went from disgusted to amused upon seeing Eragon's heated glare. "Ah, temper, temper! Murtagh has quite a quick fuse as well. Must run in the family," he said and laughed. Link shivered at the evil sound which attracted the mad king's attention.

"And what have we here?" he asked. "I'd say an elf, but if you were one, surely wouldn't get caught like this. Plus you seem to be able to shape shift. How peculiar." He leaned down and grasped Link's chin in his hand. "Hm. Pretty, and certainly better than those tree huggers." His grip turned harsh and his nails dug into the blonde's chin, making him cry out in pain and surprise. Eragon growled, making the corrupted man smirk. "Ah, true beauty. Now tell me, child, what are you?"

"None of your business," Link hissed, causing Eragon to feel torn in between proud and wanting him to beat the other over the head with the end of Saphira's tail.

"Oh? Not willing to share?" Galbatorix glared, eyes narrowing. "Fine. I'll just take it from your mind!" He grew focused and Link groaned from the sudden mental attack. Eragon's eyes widened and he instantly dove into Link's mind, putting up a barrier. The older Rider turned his heated glare to the brunette. "What are you hoping to accomplish, boy?!" he growled. He released a harsh attack on Eragon, making him gasp and grit his teeth. He was only able to protect his own mind and had to withdraw on helping Link. "That was getting annoying—good thing you stopped when you did." He then turned towards Link and resumed his mental search, causing him to let out sounds of pain and discomfort. After about ten minutes he was finally satisfied and stopped.

"Ah, a Hylian! My, my, I thought your kind was extinct! Good thing, too—such a beautiful and exquisite race. I would love to make the princess of your kingdom a nice castle whore." Link tried to lash out and hurt the man but settled for biting the hand that was still on his chin. "How dare you!" Galbatorix howled and backhanded Link, making him see stars. "I'll teach you your place!"

"Don't you dare," snarled Eragon. "Leave him alone!" The king growled before kicking the brunette who was sent on his back thanks to the impact, arms underneath him. Galbatorix placed his heavy boot on Eragon's chest and pushed down, making the teen cry out. The old man paused when he heard a vicious snarl. Glaring at him was a tensed wolf, foaming at the mouth and looking livid. It looked possessed. By its front paws laid some tattered pieces of rope.

"Aw, is the mutt scared for his boy?" he mocked and laughed. Link snarled again and leaped at the man, hoping to rip out his throat. Galbatorix snorted and grabbed hold of the beast's collar, choking him. He snapped his jaws, spit and foam speckling though the air, but wasn't able to bite into the king. "You truly are an interesting creature," he remarked. "It'll be fun _experimenting_ with you." The wolf let out an involuntary whimper and was tossed to the ground some ten feet away. "Move again and I'll kill you." Link didn't move an inch and watched Eragon with sad eyes.

_I'm sorry,_ his whispered, and the other teen swore he saw tears form in the animal's eyes.

_It's okay. You tried. Just be thankful he isn't going to kill us…yet._

"King Galbatorix," an indifferent voice said. "Your presence is…want…ed…" The voice halted, sounding shocked. Eragon and Link looked. To Link, it was some dark and mysterious stranger. To Eragon, it was a different story.

To Eragon, it was his once best friend now turned brother and enemy.

It was Murtagh.

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Review or I'll send Shurikan on you ;D And when I get a review, I'll update~


	3. Getting to Know Each Other

Yey~ an update~! But a lil note: I might not be able to update as much 'cause I have a thing going on the next two weeks...and I have to work on my cosplay and get ready for school ;_; s'all in my journal on deviantART, I really don't feel like repeating it |D

Reviews: Well...review XD  
**shadowdarknut:** lol, I hope to maybe perhaps do Eragon cosplay next year! Maybe I can find someone to cosplay Murtagh with me XDD Teehee, I actually have a surprise in store for Linky-boy~ but I got a neat idea introduced to me from someone on deviantart: A love triangle between Murtagh/Eragon/Link OR one between Blodhgarm/Vanir/Link! What do you think? I think it'd add a nice twist onto the story hehehe. Actually, I think I can do both!

I do not own any of the Eragon books or any of the Zelda games! And yeah...probably spoilers for both fandoms XD

**EDIT: I really don't know HOW but the text got all fucked up and was just everywhere. Like part of one sentence would move to the middle of another sentence. And I don't understand how it could get like that because I copied it straight from my deviantart account O_o;; Whatever, I fixed it.**

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"M-Murtagh?" Eragon gasped out. He wasn't sure whether to cry out in happiness or anger.

Galbatorix pressed down harder on the brunette's chest. "Did I say you could talk?" he hissed and looked up at Murtagh. "Hello, Morzansson," he purred, as if Eragon and Link weren't there at all. "Who is it that wishes me to grace them with my presence?"

The dark-haired man stared numbly at the scene. "The Shade Zambini," he replied tonelessly. "He told me he wishes to see you. Something about a spell." The king nodded, taking his heavy boot off of his poor victim's chest, who wheezed slightly.

"Very well. Take you dear, dear brother and his mutt friend to your chambers," he sneered. Stone-faced, the Red Rider nodded. "Well, just as a precaution…" He waved a hand lazily and Eragon immediately slumped in a deep sleep. Link let out a sharp growl, grabbing the two's attention. He was now on all fours and baring his teeth, in spite of Galbatorix's prior warning.

Said man let out a snort. "Very well," he drawled and mumbled a few choice words, his left palm glowing. Instantly a thick, leather restraint appeared around the beast's muzzle. He let out a muffled whine. "Now, behave for your little friend's brother," he said, laughing cruelly. Murtagh pursed his lips and picked up his former friend, looking at him wistfully. "And don't you dare say anything important to him, boy," the mad king said warningly. "You and your dragon will regret it."

Murtagh stared back evenly, nodding. He was used to Galbatorix's threats and punishments, and they were not trivial things. _"Iet tauthr,"_ he commanded, looking at the wolf. Link cocked his head. It was odd—he didn't know the language, but he understood it. He trotted after the man now known as Murtagh. It wasn't as if he had a choice.

They travelled all the way across the castle and down some stairs. Murtagh's room was on the ground floor and on the outside wall so that he had a window. The throne room was located on the top floor, the tenth, and was in the center of the fortress-like structure. He was a bit curious about this odd animal that followed him. He looked down at it, frowning. Its ears were almost flat against its head, which was bowed. The dark-haired man wondered if he could talk with it, like the way he could with Thorn. He had never tried talking with animals.

_Can you hear me?_ he asked when they finally reached the door to his chambers. The wolf flinched.

_…Yes…_ it said in a small voice. Murtagh's eyes widened slightly. This animal was intelligent enough for human speech! He quickly opened the door and entered his room, placing carefully Eragon on the huge bed. It was a lavish room, but the circumstances why he was even staying in that room were painful. Murtagh would much rather be a beggar in the streets than an Empire dog. He sat down in a wooden chair by his desk.

"You can jump in the bed," he said aloud, making the canine a bit surprised. "I don't mind." It eyed him suspiciously but did as he suggested, lying down like a Sphinx. "What is your name? Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

_Link,_ it—no, _he_—said.

"I'm sure you already know my name, but I'm Murtagh." Link just eyed him again with those piercing blue eyes and tried to rub off the binding on his muzzle with his paws, shackles clinking.

_That man,_ the wolf began suddenly, _is he your master? _

"Yes," Murtagh growled. "Thorn and I are his unwilling servants." Link looked at him curiously, and the swordsman decided to answer his unasked question. "Thorn is my dragon. Eragon has a dragon too—her name is Saphira, the last female dragon."

_Who are you calling yours, brat?_ a deep voice rumbled inside his mind. Murtagh internally chuckled.

_No one, Thorn. Go back to wooing Saphira._

Link asked, surprised. _There are tame dragons?_

_That does sound rather appealing, but I'm interested in that little mutt in your room, as well as the boy in your bed. Hm, wolf. I wonder how good they taste…_

_Oh, shut up you overgrown lizard._

_Dragon?_

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily call them tame," Murtagh said, amusement in his voice, "but they are certainly better than what I imagine wild dragons to be. Come and meet him. I'm sure Eragon will take a few hours to wake."

_Very well._ The Red Rider then led Link to the dragon hold after locking the door securely. The dragon hold was an enormous tower with no ceiling where the Forsworn once housed their dragons. Now it held Thorn, Shruikan, and Saphira. It was a large building, about a mile in diameter, and was separate from the castle. When they walked into the hold, Link was shocked. There were three dragons! One, a black-scaled brute, was absolutely gigantic, but the other two were considerably smaller.

"The red one is Thorn," Murtagh mumbled. "The blue one is Saphira, and the black one is Shruikan, Galbatorix's." Thorn then lumbered over to his Rider. He had wonderful crimson red scales and was a bit bigger than Saphira.

_Hello, dog,_ he said, giving his dragonish smile. _You look like a tasty snack!_

_Don't mess with me,_ Link warned. _I've killed dragons before, albeit evil ones._

_Oh really? Well, I don't think you're going to do much harm with your mouth all wrapped up._

_Thorn!_ a sharp voice warned. Link looked over to see the beautiful blue dragon approach them. She was smaller and slimmer but still mighty. _Quit your teasing! Honestly, I can't believe you think he is just a so-called "dog."_ Thorn snorted, rolling his great big red eyes, but back off nevertheless. He then engaged in a conversation with Murtagh. _And you are?_ she asked kindly.

_Um…Link. And you're right, I'm not just a wolf, I'm a Hylian. I guess we're kind of like elves._ This just piqued her curiosity, but she kept silent. _And Eragon—he's okay._

Saphira let out a loud sigh. _Thank the gods,_ she hummed contently, but glared as she saw the binding on Link's muzzle. _Who did that to you?_

_Th-the man named Galbatorix. _She growled and the restraint came off with a snap. _Wow, thank you so much! _

_It…it just happened,_ she mumbled. _I can't control my magic—it just acts on impulse. __But you're welcome, Link._ The wolf let out a grin and seemed to focus deeply. A dark shadow enclosed around him, and when he emerged, it was in his human form. _What was that?!_ Saphira cried out.

"It's complicated," he murmured, amused. The voice made Thorn and Murtagh turn and stare. The blonde was pretty, no doubt about it, but at least Murtagh had control of his hormones.

"What are you?" The Rider asked, eyes narrowed. Link crossed his arms, obviously offended. "An elf?"

"Please," the green-clad teen huffed, "do not get we Hylians confused with our cousins, the elves." Murtagh raised an eyebrow.

_Why the hostility?_ Thorn asked.

"The elves were once our brothers and sisters—that's why we look so similar. They, however, abandoned the Goddesses and left our country. They think all gods are false and chose not to worship or pray for any god, goddess, deity, spirit, or any other divine power. Instead, the elves manifested their powers completely in magic and nature. I really don't mind that part; it's just the idea of claiming that the Goddesses are false…!" He shook his head, earrings and hat swaying back and forth. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "It's just that the three Goddesses are important to our culture."

"Obviously," Murtagh said, interested. It was amusing seeing the other get so worked up. "So a Hylian, eh? I've read a bit about them. Never heard anything about shape shifting."

"I'm a special case," Link said, embarrassed. "I already explained it to Eragon, but I'm assuming that you two can read memories as well as thoughts, and I thought that'd be more thorough, so if you want to, I guess you could do that."

Murtagh nodded. "Prepare yourself," he warned and dove into the Hylian's mind. He dug around carefully for a few minutes, skimming through the other's childhood memories and concentrating mainly on the past few months of the Link's life. Flashes of not quite normal darkness, odd entities of light, and a strange impish creature passed his eyes. For some moments his senses were enhanced and then returned to normal, not unlike when he merged his vision with Thorn's. He witnessed battles with many odd monsters, as well a mighty fight with a strange, towering man. He was then stricken with sadness from Link when he saw an exotic woman with odd blue and black skin shatter a mirror in the middle of a desert. Murtagh withdrew after discovering how exactly Link had gotten to Alagaësia.

The Red Rider could only stare in shock. This…_child_ had gone through so many challenges! The blonde was at least four years his junior, yet he had probably gone through as many hardships as Eragon and himself. He tensed a little as he thought of his little brother. _Eragon…_

_Not now, brat,_ Thorn growled. _You can deal with him later, but now you should probably talk to this cousin of elves._

Murtagh heeded the male dragon's advice. "You've gone through many ordeals," he stated. Link smiled a secretive smile, as if he were enjoying a private joke.

"Yes, I suppose I have," he said. "But I'm sure you have as well. You said you two were here unwillingly. Why is that?" he asked curiously.

The raven-haired man growled, "Galbatorix forced us to swear servitude to him in the Ancient Language."

"It's just words, though! Can't you just go against your word?"

Murtagh sighed, running a hand through his shaggy locks. "You cannot lie in the Ancient Language. You just _can't._ If you say something it has to be true. Like…_eka eddyr aí Shu'tugal._ That means 'I am a Dragon Rider.' I can say it because I am a Dragon Rider."

"Oh…I see," Link murmured softly. "It sounds a bit like a language I know—like Old Hylian. No one uses it anymore, though…"

"Interesting," mused Murtagh. (A/N: Yay, alliteration! XD) _Maybe one language evolved from the other…?_ "Perhaps we should go back inside soon."

"Oh, okay," Link said, sounding a bit disappointed.

_What is it, hatchling?_ Thorn asked, amused.

"Well…er…I wanted to feel your scales," he admitted, blushing a little. _And maybe ride you?_ he asked tentatively in his mind.

Thorn let out a loud chuckle. Saphira snorted. _I wouldn't trust him,_ she huffed. _If you wish to, young one, I could take you. I'm not chained, but there are spells cast on me so I cannot leave the castle grounds._

"Really?" the Hylian gushed. "Thank you so much, Saphira!" She then carefully instructed him on how to climb up her and how to adjust the restraints on her saddle. Murtagh couldn't but help but be reminded of Eragon. From a distance, they looked eerily similar. Eragon's hair was brown, turned lighter from the sun, and Link's was a dirty blonde, so that wasn't so far off…the only thing was that Link's eyes were a startling blue, almost animalistic, and clearly visable even though a ways away, whilst Eragon's were a deep brown.

_Murtagh,_ warned Thorn. _He isn't your brother._ Murtagh internally sighed.

_I know, Thorn,_ he replied wearily, he and the red dragon watching as Saphira took off, seemingly glad to stretch out her wings. She flapped upwards until she was out of the dragon hold and shot off. _He just…reminds me so much of him._ "Gods," he moaned, "Eragon must hate me!"

_If it makes you feel better, hatchling, I hate you sometimes too._

"Not helping, Thorn!" the swordsman hissed, glaring at his dragon. "I just don't know how to get it through that thick skull of his that everything I did was against my will!"

_Get the wolf-child to speak to him,_ Thorn suggested. _From what you saw when searching his mind, they seem to already be good friends._

_That…actually isn't a bad idea, _Murtagh admitted. _Since when were you so wise?_

_Since when were you so obsessed over the little brunette hatchling?_

_I'm not obsessed!_ Murtagh protested.

_Oh? So when you were suppose to be being intently patrolling, those thoughts of Eragon were forced into your head by someone else?_

_Shove it, Thorn, _Murtagh mumbled, giving up. They waited for around half an hour until the two finally came back. Link jumped off Saphira's back, landing in a crouch. She contently began licking her claws, which were stained red.

"Link," Murtagh began, "do you think that you can convince Eragon that I'm not all that bad? He hates me, and it's just because of a huge misunderstanding." The blonde studied him for a bit before nodding.

"You don't seem like a terrible person, Murtagh," Link said, smiling. "And you don't seem dishonest, either. Just…not understood all too well." Murtagh just stared at the other. They had only known each other for less of an hour, yet the Hylian seemed to understand him.

"Well! I suppose we ought to go back, eh?" Murtagh asked, appearing considerably chipper. Link smiled and nodded, following the raven-haired man after giving both Saphira and Thorns hugs, ignoring the sleeping Shruikan. Murtagh's happy mood then faded at the sight that greeted them when they went back to his room.

A very, very pissed off Eragon.

* * *

-giggles- I just haaaaaaaad to slip that last part in.

_Iet tauthr_ - Follow me  
_eka eddyr aí Shu'tugal - _I am a Dragon Rider (no durr XD)

Hehe, and the whole 'you've gone through many ordeals' thing and Link looking amused...the joke was the Cave of Ordeals, a bitchin' dungeon in the Gerudo Desert in TP. I beat it twice, so know I have fairies in every spirit spring and availibility to Fairy's Tears. I loooooved that dungeon, especially the Darknuts. But the Re-Deads...-shivers- Anyways! ...I'm not sure XD


	4. Authors note TT

Oh great, an author's note. This can't be good |D

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_**I'M DISCONTINUING THIS STORY**_

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-gets shotded and mauled by Jakeward, Marth/Link, and Mur/Era fans-

Rofl I'm kidding XDD I feel evil now...lol.

Oh snap. I'm sososososo sorry guys DDDDDX I have a lot of crap on my plate…so expect an update in another week ;;; Don't kill meeeeeeee, I'm too young to die! -holds up arms in defense-

But to keep you occupied…there's this really awesome vampire series called _The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod._ The three books out so far are: Eighth _Grade Bites, Ninth Grade Slays, and Tenth Grade Bleeds._ The author is Heather Brewer and her website is www. heatherbrewer. com (take out the spaces). You should read it…the main character sounds soooo cuuuute~! And Joss and Henry sounds sososo hot. I just finished the third one in three hours XD

But once again, I'm sorry T~T Forgive me? Once again, I'm sorry. I'm taking summer classes and they're gonna keep me busy. DX once again: I. Am. SORRY. I should HOPEFULLY update this weekend. We'll see |D Er…bye? -runs away in cowardice- =w=


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